


A Promise For Ganymede

by sparklight



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Mentioned Hercules | Heracles (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27475828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparklight/pseuds/sparklight
Summary: Heracles (still known as Alcides yet) finally has a chance to exact revenge on Laomedon for not giving him the pay he promised years ago. Ganymede, finding out what's about to happen, can't keep his upset private enough for Zeus to simply ignore it until whatever has caused it goes away. It leads to a rare confrontation and some reassurance.And dark, unknown irony, for many decades into the future Troy will fall regardless of what Zeus or Ganymede wants.
Relationships: Ganymede/Zeus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	A Promise For Ganymede

**Author's Note:**

> This got inspired by another fic (Hera Hung) I'm writing that touches on this event as a background, but this scene has no place there at all.

"Enough!"

Ganymede jumped, the nectar in the nearly overfull jug he'd come into Zeus' study with almost splashing over the rim. Clutching the jug to himself after a quick look to make sure nothing had spilled, Ganymede looked up at Zeus. He was hardly afraid, but most certainly startled still for the edge in Zeus' voice, and frowned as he met the dark look in those eyes, usually so warm for him.

"Z---"

"What is it, Ganymede?" Zeus asked, gray eyes narrowing further, pointed and sharp, and the only reason Ganymede didn't flush guiltily was his own deep-seated reluctance to actually confront Zeus over anything serious. Even now, so many decades after he'd been taken to Olympos, he didn't like to do so. Especially not for this, because he couldn't pretend to not know what he was upset about, now.

"Nothing, my lord."

Oh no. Wrong address to choose if he'd truly wanted to play it off as 'nothing'. Ganymede watched Zeus' expression darken impressively and shifted on his feet, his gut churning. Again, not afraid, not really. The thing was just, the issue was one where he felt he might lose in when it came to who weighed heavier, and he really didn't wish to find out there were others than Queen Hera where that applied. Maybe that was selfish, but this was not over any small matter.

"You've been sulking for days. _What is it_."

Sulking? _Sulking_? Now Ganymede did flush, his grip tightening on the jug until his knuckles ached.

"I haven't been _sulking_!" he hissed, chin thrust out and leaning forward without meaning to, rolling onwards less for the bubble of containment around his anger having been burst and more because Zeus' expression, though his frown had deepened, was still. Hard and scowling, but still, and he hadn't moved at all. "Were--- were you even going to tell me, that, that Troy had been destroyed, or wait until after it'd happened?"

"Until after..? Ganymede, Troy hasn't been _destroyed_." Zeus' confusion and the brief flick of distant gaze as if to ensure himself of that, did not make anything better at all and he had to put the jug down lest he... well, he didn't know. He just wanted to make sure he didn't spill a single drop of it, even if no one would be angry, upset or even disappointed in him if he did so, especially in private like this. Zeus would never berate him for spilling. Not unless that was what they both wanted him to do, because that could indeed be fun. Right now, it certainly wouldn't be.

" _Alcides_ , my lord! Hebe said, he's--- he..." His throat closed up and Ganymede, though he didn't really sob, still choked on his words, looking away from the stormy swirl of Zeus' eyes. His heart thanked him for it, but Ganymede felt a little like he'd lost something, even if there'd been no competition and he certainly hadn't meant to challenge Zeus.

"Curse me for trying to be clever," Zeus muttered, and Ganymede huffed a startled half-laugh, knowing Zeus was berating himself over trying to take things slow with introducing Hebe to the idea of marrying Alcides. Very slow. He was going to bring it up to Hera before it happened, too, but that was nowhere near close to happening, so he was focusing on Hebe for now, having her watching her potential future husband quite often. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Ganymede saw Zeus shake his head. Then there was a shift of arms and hands reaching into his vision and he knew what was coming but stood still anyway as Zeus cradled his face and turned him to face him again. The previous tightness and annoyed patience as well as brewing frustration in Zeus' expression were all gone. There was only serene brightness in Zeus' eyes, like fine, misty clouds high in the sky. Ganymede's throat convulsed as he swallowed for it, shaking his head, rejecting what was going to be said before it was said. He didn't want confirmation that Zeus would value his son and whatever he might choose to do over what Ganymede might want for his childhood home and extended family. He didn't---

"Troy isn't going to be destroyed, beloved."

That wasn't fair. He know he should believe it - Zeus wouldn't lie to him - but Ganymede couldn't see what other outcome there was in this situation, if Zeus wasn't going to stop his son. And he wasn't.

"But Alcides is---"

"Is going to attack the city, yes. If it was someone else, I would've deprived them of such a thing entirely." Zeus sighed, but that pronouncement didn't help Ganymede at all and he squeezed his eyes shut against the threatening spill of tears. Still, he didn't try to step away from the huge, warm hands cradling his face, rather leaned into them a little more, in fact. He really should pull away, anger somewhere in the back of his head, but having had it bubble over and out he was now quite at a loss, and Zeus' hands were gentle. "I was hoping the years between then and now would've taken off the edge for his need for restitution, but it seems not."

Ganymede couldn't quite silence the little scoff that escaped him. Did Zeus not realize how vindictive Alcides could be? Not that he... didn't have a right or reason to be so, this time. He'd risked life and limb ridding Troy of Poseidon's sea monster, and gotten nothing of what he'd been promised out of it. But Alcides' right wasn't what what was in question, only Alcides' willingness to let insults - right or wrong ones - go. And such willingness he certainly didn't possess much of, so in such wise he was certainly as much human as he was proven related to his father and the Deathless Ones in general.

"Then..." Ganymede whispered, trailing off into nothing because he didn't want to spell it out further. The way his throat closed up again meant he really _couldn't_ continue.

"Then _nothing_ ," Zeus said, voice rolling about them thunderously enough Ganymede jumped again, reluctantly opening his eyes to watch him. What he saw was as reassuring as it was not, and Ganymede latched onto one of Zeus' wrists, squeezing. "I wasn't going to tell you because there would be little to tell. He will attack the city, yes, but such things can happen in many ways. He will not be allowed to raze it, and he certainly won't be allowed to kill the whole of your family, my prince."

That still left room for dead if it came down to it, but Ganymede had feared something far starker than this and grabbed what he was given. Still, as he wet his lips and swallowed down a chunk of tension, he didn't intend to voice what came next, but it spilled out anyway. "Piḫaššaššiš, do you promise?"

He knew what he was asking, but Zeus didn't look displeased for being put on the spot after his proclamation. Merely quirked a corner of his lips into half of a smile and stroked Ganymede's cheeks with his thumbs.

"I promise Troy won't be destroyed, Ganymede. Not by my son or anyone with him."

The air shuddered, then trembled, light and charged, as Zeus dipped his head in a nod, and Ganymede had to take a breath against the weight of it. His heart stuttered, then settled, and warmth followed as the knot in his gut unwound almost entirely. He couldn't summon a smile in gratitude - not for the promise as such, when the attack was still going to happen, but rather that Zeus had actually promised in such a way that only gods could do. Zeus, though, only shook his head and then leaned further, and as he drew Ganymede in, he willingly went into the kiss.

And if he clung a little to those broad shoulders until he was pulled up onto the chair and into Zeus' lap, well, that was no one else's business but his, now wasn't it?


End file.
